Luminous display sign



Dec. 22, 1942.

S. l. WEISS LUMINOUS DISPLAY SIGN Filed July 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Shegt l INVENTOR I Shawl/y Weiss ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 1942. s. WEISS I LUMINOUS DISPLAY SIGN Filed July 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 22,. 1942 i 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUMINOUSDISPLAY SIGN Shirley Irving Weiss, New York, N. Y.

Application July 12, 1941,,Serial No.. 402,081

The present invention relates to luminous display signs of the type in which readily replaceable glass tube characters charged with appropriate rarefied gas and making up the display legend aredisposed in a high voltage alternating electrostatic field and are rendered luminous therein by induction, either due to the inherent luminosity of the gas in such fieldor with the aid of a fluorescent coating upon the inner walls of the tubes.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a decorative, attention arresting sign of the above type, made up of a minimum number of simple inexpensive parts, assembled with the greatest of facility, on which the glass characters are readily installed by simply positioning them in place and as readily removed, without the need for any affirmative connection or disconnection and in which the structural support elements are concealed from view.

Another object is to provide a light, portable display sign of the above type which presents no fire hazard and which inherently avoids the possibility of electric shock to one handling the equipment while in use, Which obviates installation difficulties but may be simplyplugged'into an ordinary domestic outlet box and which is not apt to become deranged in use.

Another object is to provide a display sign of the above type, in which the consecutive characters are separate and distinct as they would be in non-luminous display signs, with the avoidance of ungainly exposed series connections between consecutive characters, in which a marked effect of luminosity of each character is attained in a manner mystifying to the lay person seeing the sign, and in which any of a variety of color effects of the characters may be attained.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. l is a front elevation of the display sign,

Fig. 2 is a top elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof,

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional View on a larger scale taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 4 taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on a larger scale, of a detail taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a front elevation partly in section of one of the characters,

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the character and Fig. 9 is a sectional detail of a modification.

Referring now to the drawings, the sign in a desirable embodiment comprises a back panel Hi the lower edge of which may be bolted at H to a rearwardly extending bottom shelf or base l2. The panel I0 is of metal, suitably enamelled or coated for decorative effect, but if desired it might be of composite construction including a lamin'aof metal. Apower unitP of conventional construction may be mounted upon the base l2. This power unit includes a transformer l3 to step up the voltage from the alternating current domestic supply to the voltage desired, ordinarily in the order of 2000 volts, and feeds into the conventional oscillator tube H! which has associated therewith, preferably by encircling the same, an induction coil l5. The unit also includes one or more condensers I6, to impart thereto the desired high frequency characteristic in the order of 400,000 cycles.

One of the terminal leads I! of the power unit is connected directly to the metal back panel or lamina l0, while the other terminal lead I8 is connected to a live metal bar I9 positioned in front of the back panel and spaced therefrom. Desirably the live bar I9 is a thin narrow strip of metal which is attached by screws 20 to insulating support blocks 2|, illustratively three in number, that are wider than the live bar [9 and are attached to the back panel by means of bolts 22 passing through the respective support blocks, the associated nuts 23 being tightened against the rear of the panel I0. The two end nuts desirably also attach in position brackets 24 which maintain the desired angular relation between the base I2 and the back panel Ill.

The live bar (9 and the support blocks 2| are concealed from view by a narrow shield strip 25, which extends horizontally across the back panel in front of said blocks 2| and is attached to the respective blocks by means of the same bolts 22 which mount'the said blocks. Desirably the ends of the shield strip 25 are turned inward as at 26 well beyond the extremities of the live bar, the respective end edges thereof engaging the back panel I 0.

Desirably the nut 23 on themiddle supporting bolt serves to attach the terminal lead ll mechanically and to ground it to the back panel l0, whilethe other terminal lead I 8 of the power unit extends through an aperture 21 in the back panel 10 and, the extremity thereof is soldered or welded at 28 to the under face of the live bar IS.

The unit may be made up with any number of live bars ll 9 depending upon requirements. In the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawings, two such live bars are shown in parallel relation, which are in every way identical in construction, the second bar lea being nearer the lower edge of the back panel, there being a branch lead Illa soldered at its extremity at 28a to the lower live bar 19a. A conventional cord set 29 is connected to the power unit, with a terminal plug 30 to be inserted in the conventional outlet box and preferably a hand switch 3| is provided adjacent the power unit by which the sign may be switched on and oif as desired.

The characters desirably comprise more or less conventional glass tube units conformed to the respective characters, numerals or other display configurations. Each tube 35 is desirably charged with rarefied noble gas, neon, krypton, argon, or the like, depending upon the color desired. For the fluorescent type of character a small amount of mercury vapor is added and the inner walls of the tubes are coated with appropriate fluorescent covering depending upon the color efiect desired, all in manner known to those skilled in the art.

Each glass character is supported upon an insulating block 36, illustratively of laminated resin-impregnated woven fabric such for instance as the material known by the trade-name "Micarta. Desirably the base of a U-shaped metal electrode 31 extends along and part of its thickness protrudes below the lower face of said support base 36, while its upturned legs 38 extend into corresponding apertures 39 in said base and are connected to the glass tube by a wire 40 coiled about the electrode 31 at the lower end and coiled at the upper end about tip 35' on the lower end of the character tubes. If desired, as shown in the modification of Fig. 9, a thin metal wire 4! of coefiicient of expansion equal to that of the glass is affixed to the end of electrode 31 at one end and extends through the tip 35' at the other end.

Preferably the back panel In of the sign is tilted rearward slightly from the vertical as shown, the widths of the respective live bars l9 which extend at right angles to the back panel being thereby tilted downward slightly. Accordingly when the base 36 of a luminous character 35 is rested upon the live bar, the character will tilt backward so that its upper edge will touch the back panel l8. Accordingly it will be apparent that the glass character affords a preferential path for the rapidly alternating high voltage electrostatic field maintained between the live bar 19 and the grounded back panel if). The high voltage is effectively applied from the live bar l9 through the electrode 31 engaging the same, to the interior of the glass character and the field is directed therethrough in the path of least resistance, that is upward to the grounded metal plate I0 at the region touched by said glass character. As a result, according to principles well known, the character will be rendered luminous to afford an effective display.

The shield'strip 25 is preferably of metal and thus serves in addition to concealing the blocks 2!, the live bar [9 and the character bases 36, to direct such electrostatic flux as passes forward from the live bar [9, back to panel l0, thereby contributing to the effectiveness of luminosity.

The sign is readily transportable, to be positioned wherever desired and any lay storekeeper or clerk can readily make up the display as desired, by simply laying theglass letters, numeral or other display units upon the respective live.

bars, without having to make any afiirmative electrical connection thereto. While the voltage upon the live bar is high, its amperage, since it is connected to the oscillator tube, is extremely low, so that the consequence of touching the same is not different from that of touching a static machine in operation.

Where the terminal wire 4| of the electrode extends into the interior of the glass as described and shown in Fig. 9, the luminosity is enhanced in that the electrostatic flux does not have to penetrate the thickness of the glass wall more than once in passing from the live bar to the grounded back panel. If desired, similar electrode terminals (not shown) might be introduced into the back of the upper end of each letter for metal to metal contact with the back panel which would further enhance the luminous effect to be attained.

As many changes could be mad in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A luminous display sign, including a back panel of metal, a live bar extending longitudinally thereof and attached thereto in electrically insulated relation with respect thereto, a metal shield strip extending along the front of said live bar and insulated Withrespect thereto, but electrically connected to said back panel and a power unit at the rear of said back panel including a transformer, an oscillator tube and an induction coil, said power unit having terminals connected respectively to said live bar and said back panel, whereby a high frequency alternating electrostatic field exists between said live bar and said back panel to render luminous rarefied gas charged glass tube characters removably resting upon said live bar.

2. In a luminous display device, a back panel which includes a metal sheet of substantially the entire area thereof, insulating supports attached to said back panel, a live metal bar exports.

3. In a luminous display device of the high voltage, high frequencyrarefied gas tube induction type, a back panel of metal, a live bar extending along said back panel and in electrically insulated relation with respect thereto, and a metal shield strip extending in front of said live bar and electrically insulated therefrom bu-t electrically connected to said back panel. I

4. In a luminous display device a back panel which includes a'metal sheet of substantially the entire area thereof, a live metal bar extending lengthwise thereof, insulating supports therefor attached to said back panel and supporting said live bar, in electrically insulatedrelation with respect to said back panel, and a smaller shielding strip attached to said supports in front of and spaced from said liVe bar, said shieldingstrip being of metal and having inturned end flanges substantially contacting the back panel and being spaced from the sides and ends of said live bar.

5. A luminous display sign comprising an upstanding back panel inclined rearward from the vertical, a live metal bar extending lengthwise of said back panel, means supporting said live bar in electrically insulated relation with its Width at right angles to said back panel, glass characters charged with rarefied gas removably rested directly upon said live bar and thereby tilted rearward for the upper ends thereof to engage said back panel and means concealing said live bar from view while exposing to view the effective areas of said characters.

6. A luminous display sign comprising an upstanding grounded back panel sloping slightly rearward from the vertical, insulating support blocks affixed to said back panel, a live metal bar resting upon and secured. to said support blocks in spaced relation with respect to said back panel, and electrically insulated therefrom and rarefied gas filled glass character tubes removably positioned directly upon said live bar.

7. A luminous display sign of the high frequency induction type comprising a metal back panel having a support flange extending rearward therefrom, a high voltage high frequency power unit supported upon said flange, a live bar extending lengthwise of the front of said back panel, means supporting said live bar upon the front of said back panel in spaced relation with respect thereto, means concealing said live bar and the support thereof, said power unit having a terminal protruding through a corresponding aperture in said back panel and electrically and mechanically connected to the under face of said live bar, the other terminal of said power unit being connected to said back panel, whereby glass display units filled with rarefied gas and resting upon the live bar will be rendered luminous, in the alternating electrostatic field created by said power unit.

8. A luminous display device comprising a carrier including a base and a back panel rising therefrom, a power unit supported upon said base, insulating blocks attached to the forward face of said back panel, a metal live bar electrically insulated from said back panel extending parallel thereto, resting upon said blocks and secured thereto, a metal shield strip secured to said blocks and extending in front of and spaced from said live b'ar, said shield strip extending beyond the ends of said live bar, its extremities being turned inward toward said back panel, said power unit having one terminal lead extending through a corresponding hole in said back panel and mechanically and electrically connected to said live bar, the other terminal lead thereof being connected to said back panel, whereby glass characters filled with appropriate rarefied gas when rested upon said live bar, will lie in the rapidly alternating electrostatic field between said live bar and said back plate and will thereby be rendered luminous.

9. In a luminous display device, a metal back panel, a power unit concealed therebehind, insulating support blocks secured to said back panel and spaced in aligned relationship, a shield strip extending over the forward face of said blocks, bolts extending through said shield plate, said blocks and said back panel and assembling the same, a live bar of width less than the thickness of said. blocks resting upon said blocks and secured to the upper face thereof and spaced from both said back panel and said shield strip, said power unit having one terminal lead connected to one of said bolts, the other terminal lead extending through an aperture in said back panel and being electrically and mechanically connected to the under face of said live bar.

S. IRVING WEISS. 

